the colorado river, created an immense man-made lake, provided the electric power to the california defense plants that helped win world war 12. hoover dam is one of countless examples of the kind of public works that defined america. from the erie canal to the transcontinental railroad, to the interstate highway system. such project its sim-- symbolized the nation's ambition and enterprise. >> we used to be the most efficient place to move people and goods in the world. gave us an enormous economic advantage. and that's because our parents and great grandparents built these great ports and airports and so forth. >> but that was then. this is now. across the industrialized world in places like china and germany, high speed railroads and gleaming new airports, and here in the united states? an infrastructure so outdated that it will take some 2 toy-- 2.2 trillion to fix it, according to the american society of civil nears: -- engineers. there are many reasons behind this grim picture but one reason some experts tell us is how long it takes to approve such projects. >> if you want to understa